Improvement in night-soil apparatus



R. s. slLLesRlE.

Night-Soil Apparatus.

Patented om. 5,1875.

ILPETERS. FfNOTIJTHDGRAPMER, WASHMIGTDNy D C4 water, a slow andexpensive operation.

UNrTEn STATES PATENT QFFICE.

RICHARD S. GILLESPIE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO HAMILTON B.TOMPKINS AND SAMUEL SAMUELS, OF SAME PLAGE.

IMPROVEMENT lN NIGHT-SOIL APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 168,477, dated October5, 1875 application filed April 23, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD S. GILLESPIE, of the city of New York.county and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulimprovements in processes and apparatus for the removal of night-soilfrom privyvaults, and of the deposits usually found in street-sewers andthe man holes connected therewith, and of other like matter.

The following', taken in connection with the drawings, is a full, clear,and exact description thereof.

Figure l is a complete view of the apparatus, privy-vault being shown insection. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the jet-condenser. Fig.3 is a modification of the apparatus, the same letters referring to sameparts.

My invention consists in processes and improved means for forming avacuum in airtight tanks, in order to draw the contents of sinks,cess-pools, and the like into said tanks, and at the same time and bythe same means to pre- Vent the escape of deleterious gases, or toeffect the condensation or combustion, or the successive ,condensationand combustion, of such gases during the operation of scavengering; andalso in a process and means for the stirring up from the bottom of thecontents of sewers, privies, and like places, when they have become toosolid to be removed by the suction of the vacuum, and making suchcontents sufliciently liquid to be so removed. Heretofore the vacuum inthe tank has been obtained by air-pumps, either located at thescavengering station or placed upon the tanks themselves, and actuatedby mechanism in connection with the wheels while the carriage is beingmoved. In such cases, as the tanks are being filled, the-vacuum is beingreduced, in consequence of which either the tank can not be Whollyfilled or the partially-filled tank must be run over a greater or lesscourse to re-form the vacuum, thus consuming time of men and horses, andproducing' wear of machine and offensive odors from the escape of thegases with which the air-pump is charged. Vacuums have also been formedby lling the tank with water and then pumping' out the I apply anejector operated by any suitable expansive aeriform fluid, snch as steamor carbonicacid gas, for the creation of a vacuum in the tank, by whichthe vacuum is maintained until the tank is entirely filled, and I secureat the same time, and by the same ejector so operated, a completedestruction of germ life.

It is held by all sanitarians that protoplasms or germs are destroyed byheat, even at 2120 Fahrenheit; but the steam or other named agent usedin the ejector must of course be higher than this, probably not lessthan 3000. Not only are animal germs destroyed, but also the deleteriousgases which exhale or are drawn from the contents of the tank are eitherentirely or partially, according to their nature, neutralized ordeodorized by the ejecting agent employed.

For the absorption or decomposition of comparatively dense constituentswhich may be drawn from the tanks, or aqueous vapors in the eject-ingagent or in the exhalations from the tank, and which may have resistedthe process already applied, I provide a jet-water condenser, throughwhich the hot mixture of the ej ectin g agent and deleterious gases (andatrst air from the tank) may be caused to pass. The remainder of theoutflow may be completely deodorized by being passed with and by theejecting agent from the condenser through the ashpit, fire-box, andburning coals of a deodorizer proper. The deodorizer may be utilized togenerate steam, when that agent operates the ejector, or to generatesteam to transport the lwhole apparatus.

The condenser may be omitted, if desired, and the deodorization effectedby the ejecting agent at first, and the deodorizer proper at the last;and whenever the matter to be removed is of a Weak consistency, and notexcessivel y fetid, perfect neutralization or deodorization will beeffected by the ejecting agents alone, especially when, as is shown, theexterior nozzle of the ejector is extended to a considerable distancefor the purpose of maintaining an intimate and continuous commixture ofthe ejecting and purifying agent with the gases to be neutralized ordeodorized.

It sometimes happens that the contents of the sink become too solid tofiow into the tank, and it then becomes necessary to put them sink isliquid, While the bottom part only is solid, I force air by means ofinjector,` to the bottom of the sink as a stirrer or mixer to fit thecontents to be acted upon by the vac uum. Whether Wateror air be usedfor this purpose, I mix them With disinfectants to prevent danger oroffense.

. ner concentric pipe, ending in a jet-nozzle,

and having between them an annular space, which communicates with theinterior of the tank A, or of a dome, A', on the tank A, and the innernozzle and connecting-pipe I) connect, by b', with the generator E ofthe ejecting agent, and expanding nozzle d' is attached to the outerpipe. By a branch, B', the ejector B is detachably annexed to the tankA. The annular space of the ejector does not commuiiicate With'the outerair. The valve D admits the ejection agent to b, and valve b" regulatesthe pressure of the agent according to the force desired. The tank A maybe closed by any suitable means When the ejector B is removed. Pipe d isconnected With nozzle d' of ejector B and jet-'condenser C, which isplaced for convenience on the boiler-truck C'. Valve D is for regulatingsupply of Water for the condensation of the outiiow from tank A. One endof pipe C" runs up into the condenser C, the other end terminating inthe ash-pit. At bottom of tank A is placed the valve F', used forinduction and eduction. F is a suc-A tion-pipe, one end connected Withthe valve F', the other end being placed well down into the contents ofthe vault H.

To operate the apparatus, valves F' and b" are opened. Valves D and D'are opened simultaneously. The ejection agent now rushes through pipe b'into ejector B, and issuing from an inside nozzle into the outer nozzled', the velocity of which draws the air out of suction-pipeF and tank A,and discharges it through the pipe d into 'condenser C, Which consistsof an upper Water-chamber, a vapor chamber, a communicatingvalve, anozzle, and suitable inlets and outlets. The outflow is here condensedby a spray of Water from jet-pipef'. The remainder passes With the airthrough pipe C" into ash-pit, and through the lire under boiler E. Inafew seconds a vacuum in tank A is formed, and contents of vault iioivthrough pipe F into tank A with a velocity due to the vacuum. Thereuponthe fetid gases and vapors mingle with and are neutralized or deodorizedmore or less by the ejection agent in d', pass with it throughthecondenser and deodorizer proper,

and escape Without offensive smell into the external air. As soon as thematerial is seen in the glass gagefthe attendant closes simultaneouslythe valves D, D',-and F', pipes F, d, and b' are disconnected,`and theapparatus is again in its normalcondition. Ejector B is disconnected andconnected to the next empty tank, the operation going on as before.

In some privy-vaults, owing to the porosity of the soil and the materialof which they are constructed, the Water usually mixed With the fecalmatter escapes and leaves it in a tough, tenacious condition.. In thiscondition it is almost impossible to remove it by any form of lift andforce pump, or by a vacuum. To prepare the material When in this state,I make use of a hollow perforated cylinder, H', connecting it With thedischarge-orice of any form of pump or injector, but, for simplicity,prefer to convert the ejector B into an injector, connecting asuction-pipe, I, with branch B'. 'Io operate it, H' is placed at thebottom of vault suction-pipe I into- Water. Steam is noW let into theinjector B, the current of steam drawing Water up pipe I, anddischarging it into H', and through the perforations J J into the mass.If care be taken to shift H' to different parts of the vault,the-material can be softened to any consistency desired. If there is noWater on top of material, suction-pipe I is\connected With anyconvenient Water-supply. In some, cases, air alone, injected by steam,Will answer; but I prefer water, as a disinfectant can be readily mixedwith it, and the contents of vault thoroughly disinfected.

Fig. 3 is a modification oi my apparatus, the boiler being replaced by acarbonic-acidgas generator, E, placed temporarily or permanently on thetank A. A quantity of carbonate of lime is placed in the generator E,and the reservoir G is iilled With sulphuric acid; pipe b' is connectedwith ejector B. Io operate this apparatus the valve b" is opened, andthe valves F', D, and D' are opened simultaneously. The sulphuric acidnow passes from the reservoir U into the generator E, coming in contactWith the carbonate of lime, forming a powerful gas, which hasl no escapebut through b' into ejector B. Its action is then the same as When thetank is filled. The valves D, D', and F' are simultaneously closed, pipeF disconnect-ed, and it is again in its normal state.

Having thus described my invention and its mode of operation, what Iclaim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The method of withdrawing sewage, night-soil, and like matter fromits receptacle into a transportable vessel, which consists in connectingsuch matter by an air-tight conduit with an air-tight transportableVessel, and then exhausting the air in the vessel by a jet of anexpansive aeriform fluid, such as stealn or carbonio -acid gas,substantially as described. l

2. The method of withdrawing sewage, night-soil, and like matter fromits receptacle into atransportable vessel, and at the same timedeodorizing its fetid vapors and gases, which consists in connecting thematter by an airtight conduit with an air-tight transportable vessel,and exhausting the air from the vessel outwardly through its extendedoutlet, or through that outlet and through either a shower of Water orburning matter, or through an outlet, the water, and burning matter,substantially as described.

3. The method of loosening sewage, nightsoil, and like matterpreparatory to its removal, which consists in sucking up a stream of airor water, previously disinfected, or not so, and forcing it into thematter to be loosened by a jet of an expansive aeriform fluid, such assteam, carbonio-acid gas, or compressed air or water, substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination of an air-tight transportable vessel, an ejectoroperated by an aeriform fluid, such as and in the manner as specied, asuction-conduit, and a valve oontrolling communication between tank andconduit, as and for the purpose specified.

5. The combination of an air-tight transportable vessel, an ejectoroperated by an aeriform fluid, such as and in the manner described, asuction-conduit, a valve controlling communication between such vesseland conduit, with the extended outlet of the vessel, and or with anoutlet, and either a condenser or a-deodorizer, or with such outlet,condenser, and deodorizer, for the purpose set forth.

6. The condenser C, consisting of -a waterchamber, vapor and gaschamber, communieating-valve, distributing-nozzle f, and suitable inletsand outlets, as and for the purpose 'set forth.

7. The combination of pipe I, within or without the cess-pool, injectorB, and pipe H', as and for the purpose specified.

8. The combination of suction-pipe F, vessel A, ejector B,duid-generator E, pipe G, and suitable Valves for controlling theejection uid and the sewage, as and for the purposes described.

RICHARD S. GILLESPIE. Witnesses:

EUGENE LEBEUF, JAMES R. GRIswoLD.

